It Felt like Summer
by teawithmugi
Summary: Wasn't she supposed to hate Sakurako? At least that's what Himawari thought. But it is not hate that she feels for Sakurako, not anymore.


She sat next to that little pest, as always. How Himawari wished she could just leave and never look at Sakurako again. At least that's what she told everyone. Her feelings were so different, and after all this time, they started to overwhelm her.

- Good morning, Sakurako.

_No, you idiot, you were supposed to be mean to her. But I don't want to…_

- H-hello, Himawari.

_Shouldn't you be treating me badly? Don't you have anything witty to say? Won't you mock me? I can't understand you sometimes._

It was such an unusual day: Himawari's cruel words did not seem as cruel as they should be, and she couldn't help but think of the girl next to her. She feared that people would see through her insults, flimsy as they were. She couldn't hate Sakurako anymore. She did, once, but it seemed so distant now.

They were together at lunch, along with Chinatsu and Akari. Himawari brought the chocolate cookies she baked the day before, as she would usually do. Sakurako never admitted to liking them, but Himawari wasn't blind: her friend would savor them all with a wide smile on her face.

- You eat too much, Sakurako. You'll get fat.

_I'm glad you like them so much. I wish I could tell you that._

- Your cookies are always great, Himawari! – Akari said before stuffing her mouth with a handful of cookies.

- I'm sure she made them for someone special and was rejected! – Sakurako said with a smirk that felt like a blow to Himawari's face.

_Yes, you idiot, I made them for someone special, I made them for you! How clueless can you be? Why do you think I always give you the tastiest cookies?_

- S-shut up, Sakurako – was all she could mutter.

Chinatsu and Akari looked at each other uncomfortably. Eeven Sakurako seemed to feel a bit guilty. Or maybe Himawari simply hoped she felt guilty, hoped she didn't mean it.

Before any of them could say anything, a teacher came in. Himawari thought that maybe this could take her mind off Sakurako. That did not work; minutes later there was a small note on her desk. It said "I'm sorry" in a terrible, hasty handwriting. There was a little smiling face on the corner. Himawari looked to the right and saw Sakurako, who waved at her with a hint of embarrassment.

_You really didn't mean it, did you? I'm so glad._

Himawari was flooded by strange feelings, the same ones she had been feeling for a long time.

_I'm so pathetic. Look at her, she's just a little pest, a crybaby, a kid. Or maybe she's a cute, lively and special girl. I can't really decide. I should simply tell her. Tell her how much I care about her._

And impulsively she decided to do it today, on the way back. What would she have to do? If she started treating Sakurako nicely, would she notice it? Would she understand what she feels?

_I'll just say I love her. That must be the best way. And if it goes wrong, well, it's not like we're not used to acting like we hate each other._

They said farewell to Chinatsu and Akari after school. They were dismissed from council duty today, and that convinced Himawari that it was the perfect day. She wouldn't always trust her intuition, but if there was a time she should do so, surely it was now.

- You're not mad at me, are you? – Sakurako asked.

- Not anymore. You apologized. I never expected you to do so.

- Heh. I also never thought I'd apologize to you.

They were near the park now. Himawari recalled playing there when she was young. They always passed by it when they went home, but it had been a while since Himawari last went there. She was talking a walk with her little sister the last time, if she remembered correctly. It seemed like a nice place.

Himawari held Sakurako's hand and dragged her to one of the benches in the old part of the park. Though Sakurako complained, she didn't really try to resist.

The place was rather unkempt, with lots of fallen leaves all around. Autumn would end soon, and the chilly wind felt like winter.

_Focus. Stop thinking of unimportant things. Just say what you feel._

The two girls stared at each other until the words came out of Himawari's mouth all of a sudden.

- I love you, Sakurako. Maybe you know it already, but if you don't, you do now. I love when you smile at me and I love how you always fail at pretending to hate me. I also pretend to hate you. I don't want to pretend anymore. I'm tired of that.

Sakurako blushed and grinned. As suddenly as Himawari had confessed to her, Sakurako kissed her.

_Oh._

This caught her off guard, but she didn't mind. It wasn't like she expected: it was much better. It felt like summer, and she liked that warmth so much.

When it was finished, they were both smiling. Sakurako laid her head on Himawari's shoulder and closed her eyes.

- Won't people find it strange when we're not arguing tomorrow? – She asked.

- I suppose so.

- Do you care?

- Not really.

Sakurako giggled. Such a lovely sound.

- I'm still gonna be the vice president, though.

_Shut up._

* * *

><p><em>Still not really used to writing romance. I'm kind of annoyed that this story follows a very similar structure to the last one I wrote, though. At least it isn't tragic this time (I have this serious issue where everything I write ends up becoming too tragic). Anyway, as always, I'd really appreciate comments and criticism!<em>


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